Image processing apparatus, and control method thereof and program
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKenji Hara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an image processing apparatus that realizes fast image processing in a distribution system equipped with a single mass storage device that reduces the cost for required hardware, and a method for controlling such an image processing apparatus. To accomplish this, the image processing apparatus includes a mainboard, a subboard connected to the mainboard via a bus, and a hard disk 6 that is connected to the subboard and indirectly connected to the mainboard via the subboard and that stores image data. When an access request to the hard disk is generated, in the case of data transfer between the hard disk and the mainboard, normal access is employed. On the other hand, fast access is employed in the case of data transfer between the hard disk and the subboard.
Claims9
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a first control unit that performs overall control of the image processing apparatus;
- a second control unit that is connected to the first control unit via a bus and that has an image processing function performing an image process for image data;
- and a storage unit that is connected to the second control unit and indirectly connected to the first control unit via the second control unit, and that stores the image data;
- wherein the first control unit comprises:
- a determination unit that determines, when an access request to access the storage unit is generated, whether the access request is a request for data transfer between the first control unit and the storage unit or a request for data transfer between the second control unit and the storage unit;
- and an access unit that, in a case where the determination unit has determined that the access request is a request for data transfer between the first control unit and the storage unit, accesses the storage unit in an order that the access request was generated, and that, in a case where the determination unit has determined that the access request is a request for data transfer between the second control unit and the storage unit, accesses the storage unit by prioritizing the access request irrespective of the order that the access request was generated;
- and wherein at least one of the first control unit and the second control unit comprises a computer processor.
A method for controlling an image processing apparatus utilizing a computer processor, the image processing apparatus including:
- a first control unit that performs overall control of the image processing apparatus;
- a second control unit that is connected to the first control unit via a bus and that has an image processing function performing an image process for image data;
- and a storage unit that is connected to the second control unit and indirectly connected to the first control unit via the second control unit, and that stores the image data, the method comprising:
- determining, when an access request to access the storage unit is generated, whether the access request is a request for data transfer between the first control unit and the storage unit or a request for data transfer between the second control unit and the storage unit;
- and
- accessing, in a case where it has been determined in the determination step that the access request is a request for data transfer between the first control unit and the storage unit, the storage unit in an order that the access request was generated, and in a case where it has been determined in the determination step that the access request is a request for data transfer between the second control unit and the storage unit, the storage unit by prioritizing the access request irrespective of the order that the access request was generated, the determining and the accessing being performed by the first control unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.